Christmas Is For Presents
by qwerty-yourself
Summary: ...And this is not a gift. Alex finds Piper in the act at the end of the season 1 finale. Descriptions of violence, M to be safe. May write more, let me know.


Piper/

"No!" The word was a guttaral shout, the sound tearing itself from Piper's throat. Pennsatucky lunged, and Piper felt several agonizing gashes cut into her skin. The blonde momentarily shoved the pain away and shot her foot straight between Doggett's legs. She brought her elbow hard onto the girl's back, fueled by rage and a deep, primal instinct. Pennsatucky fell to the ground with a groan, and Piper descended upon her in seconds. Her fists slammed into the other girl's face again and again and again. Every crunch and thud echoed the words through Piper's mind, _you ain't worthy of god's love_, followed by a sickening splatter, _you ain't worthy of nobody's love_, a snap as one of Piper's fingers broke. Her vision was a deep red, her heart pounding in her ears, drowning out the sharp pain she felt in her leg. Blood was pouring down her hands, her broken finger aching with every hit.

Vaugely, she heard someone shouting. Was that her name? Her heart was still too loud, her fists too noisy. Suddenly she was being torn from the ground, and a voice forcefully whispered into her ear. She fought against the person behind her, kicking and throwing empty punches while growling animalistically at Doggett. _Pipes, please, stop, calm down, please..._Some part of Piper's mind recognized the husky tone belonging to Alex. The arms, presumably Alexs', flipped her onto the ground and pinned her arms and legs down. Pain shot up her leg, and she groaned as the grip on her loosened slightly. She struggled, but when she moved her eyes up she found herself staring into wide grey ones.

"Alex?" Saying the name out loud snapped Piper out of her rage, her body stilling under the older woman's.

"Yeah, Pipes. It's me, it's Alex." Her eyes bored into Piper's, desperately searching them for answers for the scene she walked into.

"What are you doing? I can't talk to you, you said not to, you can't..." Piper's eyes were hazy with confusion and pain, clearly not having a strong grip on reality. She continued her indescernible mumbling as Alex desperately thought of a plan.

Alex/

Alex sighed as she left the chapel, desperately seeking fresh air. Her thoughts were all too jumbled and fast, not something even a quick fuck with Nicky could fix. She opened the door to the yard, suddenly hearing thumps and groans. She snapped her eyes to the side, and immediately felt sick at what she saw. Piper was on top of Pennsatucky, pounding her with her fists. Her face was contorted in rage, and blood poured down her hands and pants. Her index finger was bent at an awkward angle, and Alex fought off panic as she ran across the yard yelling Piper's name. She ripped the blonde off the beaten girl as she felt her fists and legs trying to seek her out. Alex tightened her arms, trying to whisper into Piper's ear to calm her. Realizing it wasn't going to work, she threw Piper on to the ground, not unkindly. Pain passed over the pinned girl's face, and Alex relieved just enough force for the look to leave. She continued to struggle, but Alex stared at her and whispered in a soft tone until their eyes met. Piper stopped fighting her and Alex wanted to sigh in relief as recognition passed over the girl's face.

Alex reassured her that yes, it was really her, and Piper loosened under her grip. The look she gave Alex made her heart clutch, and she fought the urge to cry. She climbed off of Piper as she murmured about what the raven haired woman had said to her earlier. Guilt rested in Alex's gut as she heard her words repeated to her. Her mind flashed to the look the younger woman had given her earlier, realizing that it had been more fearful than angry. _Fuck_, Alex thought, running her hand through her hair. _What did you do, Pipes?_ She was suddenly aware of the blood pooling around the blonde as her muttering grew weaker.

"Piper?" Her voice was frantic as she gathered Piper into her arms. Her breath was harsh against Alex's neck, and pain laced her eyes. "Where are you hurt? What happened?" Her tone was gentle but urgent.

She moved her hand down Piper, fingers searching for possible injuries. Piper shifted and groaned when Alex touched her leg. Alex sucked in a breath when she came in contact with deep gashes that ran along Piper's leg. "Oh my god, Piper." She layed Piper gently down, keeping her hand pressed to the injury. Piper's breathing became shallower and her eyes glazed over, looking through Alex. A tear rolled down her cheek when Alex begged her to _stay awake, to stay with me kid, please, come on..._"I'm so sorry Alex. Just go, you deserve so much better, god I'm so sorry..." Her voice was a low slur, her breaths came in short gasps when she was removed farther and farther from the present.

Alex knew that it was too late too try and cover it up, to try and hide what Piper had done. So she did the hardest thing she'd ever done. It wasn't the drug trading, it wasn't standing alone at her mother's grave, it wasn't allowing Piper to wiggle her way back into her life after so much heartbreak. No, it was none of those things. Instead it was Alex gently lowering Piper to the ground in the puddle of her own blood, leaving her broken form in the snow when she ran back indoors to get a CO. It was leaving the love of her life alone in the cold and in pain, leaving her fate to those that had ruined her in the first place. She wiped tears from her face as she screamed for a CO _to come quick, to please, god, come quick, she's dying_.

They shoved her out of the way, Bennet and Fischer radioing in help at the sight of the two bleeding women. Alex sobbed through her hands as Bennet felt for a pulse and ambulances rang out in the distance. He ordered Alex to press her hands on the wound, to stem the blood flow until the paramedics arrived. Piper's breath fluttered, and for a terrifying moment Alex thought it had stopped altogether.

The paramedics seemed to materialize around Alex, and Fischer picked her up off of Piper and gently guided her inside. Alex shook, covered in blood and tears. Nicky ran up to her when it slowly dawned on Alex that she was inside and Piper was not, that she was still out in the snow as the EMTs patched her wounds to prep her for the ride to the hospital. Alex lunged for the door, the urge to protect surged through her, blocking out rational thought. Nicky pulled her into a tight embrace, knowing that she couldn't hold Alex back so her only option was to calm her. She whispered into Alex's ear, feeling the tremors go through her body. Alex wept into her shoulder as Piper was rolled past, a mask on her pale face.

_Oh god kid, what did you do? What did I do?_


End file.
